by Steve | Dec 1, 2014 | 3D Design, 3D Printing, Stratasys
Now that Thanksgiving is over and the Black Friday madness has passed, it is really time to start checking the remaining names off of your gift list. If you are looking for something truly unique that you will not find anywhere else, a 3D printed design is a great option. With sites like Thingiverse and My Mini Factory, you don’t need to know anything about 3D design. All you have to do is find the design, contact us with the information, and we will print it out on our Stratasys uPrint SE Plus or MakerBot Replicator. To help you find a little inspiration for your gift, we have combed the internet to find the top 10 3D 3D printed holiday gifts. 10. Something for the centerpiece If you are looking for the perfect hostess gift, consider this unique 3D printed vase. Designed with a twisted style, this vase has tons of intricate line work and a nice, classic design with contemporary touches. For an extra special surprise, present it to your host or hostess with a bouquet of flowers already tucked inside. 9. Cloud Storage For all of your techy friends, give them a great way to organize any office with this cute little gag gift that they will actually use. The cloud-shaped storage container is printed in two pieces for a great place to keep your trinkets or small office supplies. 8. A blizzard of snowflakes If you are interested in learning more about 3D printing and want a simple place to start, take a look at these snowflakes. With multiple designs available, these downloads give you...
by greg | Sep 11, 2014 | 3D Design, 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Spectra 3D Systems Designs, Stratasys
3D Design: Cell Phone Cradle The Inspiration Recently, having my cell phone just lying flat on my desk began to annoy me ever so slightly. When I was in the middle of working on the computer and my phone buzzed, I wanted to be able to glance over at the screen without it pulling me away from my workflow. Plus, if I wanted to watch a video, hovering awkwardly over the phone was less than ideal. This inspired my newest design for this cool little cell phone cradle. The Design At first, my idea was to just create a simple cradle that would let me keep my phone upright near my computer. I quickly realized that, since I am often charging my phone while it is on my desk, making it easy to plug in while it was in the cradle was essential. To facilitate this, I added a split in the middle of the base of the cradle so that the charger chord will fit through the bottom. I also made it large enough that my phone can slip in and out of the cradle without having to unplug it from the charger. Then, I started to really think about the functionality of a phone cradle and how I would like to be able to use my phone. I realized that something else that often bothers me when I am using my phone at my desk is how quiet the speakers are, especially when they are competing with the drone of the printer. By adding sound channels to redirect the sound from the speaker area to the front...
by greg | Aug 19, 2014 | 3D Design, 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk, Stratasys
Creating a Belt Hangar for 3D Printing. The Belt Problem! Have you ever noticed that your belts don’t really have a home? If you’re anything like me, one day you will find your favorite belt rolled up in the sock drawer and the next day it will be draped over the towel rack. Well, the other day, I decided to put an end to this – my belt would get a designated place once and for all. After deciding how many belts I would like to hang, in my case I decided six would be ideal, I started designing my new belt holder. Since I have some extra closet space, a design that resembled a traditional clothes hanger would be the most convenient. The Design. As a user of Autodesk Inventor, I was able to bring my concept to life with the aid of the design software. By choosing to place my prongs slanted upward, the belts can easily snap in place and by facing the belts backward, I can keep the prong of the belt buckle locked into place, preventing the belt’s hardware from wearing out. Then, I just hit print and let my Stratasys UPrint SE Plus, which I am a reseller for, do the work. In just a couple of hours, my print was complete. The Final Product. Now, each morning when I reach for my belt, I know that I can always find it hanging safe and sound in my closet. Plus, because of the beauty of 3D printing, whenever my belt collection grows further, I can simply print out another belt holder. If you...
by greg | Aug 19, 2014 | 3D Design, 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk, Stratasys
3D Printing 101: Creating a New Wheel for a Dishwasher 3D Printing to the rescue! If you pay much attention to the news, you will see all sorts of wonderful stories about the power of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing. From a German engineering team who has discovered how to forgo the assembly line and print an entire 3D car, to scientists who are working on printing a fully-functioning human heart, the prospects for 3D print are astonishing. But with all of these groundbreaking advancements, many readers who are not highly trained scientists or engineers are left wondering – what can 3D printing do for them? In response, I give you, the dishwasher wheel. A Practical Application While cleaning up my kitchen the other day, I found that one of the wheels on my dishwasher was cracked and unusable. Knowing how ordering spare parts for appliances can be a huge pain, I was not looking forward to going online, hoping to find the correct model, or, if not, waiting on hold with customer service, then paying for the part plus shipping and handling, and waiting for weeks for the part to arrive. But then it hit me, this is a great application for my Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D printer. The Wheel and Clip Using one of the unbroken wheels as a guide, I carefully measured each piece and plugged the calculations into Autodesk’s Inventor design software. Then, I just sat back and waited while my Stratasys uPrint SE Plus created an exact duplicate of my existing wheel. Here is a comparison of the original wheel on the left...
